Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-07-23
PART of the Cumberland Times lesson

AM vi lhO t"tto ISooOh
to the JOURNAL:
Our esteemed contemporary should bear in
mind that it sis better to endure the ills we
have than fly to Others we know not of" In
its comments upon the condition of affairs in
the democratic party, it should be extremely
careful to be assured that the remedies it pro-
poses to suggest are not like Mrs SqueCrs
birthstone and molasses treackie, ''worse than
the disease ;" and at all times consider that
democratic success can only be attained by
democratic unity and unselfish and harmon
ious labor on the part of all members and
supporters of the party.
There are times, times and times
and.a-half when the JOURNAL does
not believe for a moment that there
are party ills worse than those which
lie in the track of the juggernaut of
personal" politics.
This was never truer than at this
moment.
Lately convention was held in this
county which expressed a preference"
for governor that never was, is not
and never will represent democratic
sentiment concerning the man named.
Worse than all, this "preference'
was not intended for the ostensible
beneficiary.
1t binds hand and foot, however, a
delegate who, through the Times, has
been for months an avowed adherent
of Frank Brown.
And although the paper has not
been silenced, the delegates s'voice in
convention will be hushed by the in
eXorable unit rule.
Fourteen-ffteenths of the county
voted for this Brown man and then
Gagged him for Baughman.
They disfanchised him for Brown,
so that at least three of his colleagues
may cast his vote for Baughman.
For Baughman did we say
Only when there is no danger of
nominating him.
If the Times really imagines that its
submission to even the liability of
having its editors vote so handled is a
disease less loathsome than birthstone
and treackle," the Times is welcome to
all the horrors outside the dose.
But the Times is still young. Its
chances for gaining information, ample
though they seem to be, are nothing
contrasted with the opportunities
which must come to it 0ia experience.
When it has sounded the depths Of
meretricious distinction when it has
been ignored and betrayed by the
owners of the democratic ship; when
it has incurred the jealous snarl and
snap of the very spaniels of in
dividual rivalry when it is brought
face to face with the undermine of
grinning duplicity-then the Tines
trusting soul may begin to wonder
whether, after all, abject submission
to undemocratic methods is the con-
slant duty Of democrats whether
under forced union Of unit rules and
the absolute dominion of minority
methods, democratic success is so
desirable result to the ''unselfsh and
harmonious" slaves who do the menial
work of the machine.
The JOURNAL had hoped that Col.
Philip w. Avirett, proud of his record
as an Independent democratic editor,
would assert his emancipation from
boss rule that lie would resume the
unbought and unsaleable suffrage Of
which the county convention robbed
him, and cast his vote fearlessly for
the candidate Of his choice. lie was
elected delegate with the full knowl
edge of all that lie was Il Brown man.
No other delegate got over eleven
votes, and no other delegate was COM
.mitted to Baughman until otter he was
elected. On the face of the returns
the convention, while expressing q
preference" for Baughman, had al
ready cast an overwhelming mGjority Of its
untts for Broacn
We had hoped, we repeat, that under
such circumstances Col. Philip w.
Avirett would represent in the State
convention that great body of demo-
Gratis in this county who, at the last
primaries, did not by expression or
implication handicap their represent
atives with choice for anybody.
But the Times sarcasm and trucking,
its kiss of the hand that made its
editor cipher in the next State con
ventlon, affords but little hope that
the clarion tones of a Patrick Henry
will ring out in that body, or that like
Daniel O'Connell, he will remember
that "individual freedom goes out with
every human breath, and national
liberty rides on the wild winds of
heaven"
WITH the new West Virginia road
terminating eastwardly at Cumberland
the city will be first class station and
still the head of canal navigation.
With the terminus at Williamsport, or
any tidal point, Cumberland will be a